In the Media

Prof. Emery Brown speaks with Scientific American reporter Tara Haelle for Scientific American’s special “Young American Scientists” section, discussing the evolution of the field of neuroscience and why he is optimistic about the future of scientific research in the U.S. “I am optimistic because I see new and exciting findings being discovered every day,” says Brown. “With [MIT] President [Sally] Kornbluth’s support, [the university] has developed its Health and Life Sciences (HEALS) program to encourage MIT faculty to look more deeply into solving health care problems. The enthusiasm for HEALS has been contagious across the campus.” 

Scientific American reporter Deni Ellis Béchard spotlights graduate student Alex Zhang for the publication’s special section featuring 28 rising young scientists. “The types of research that I want to work on are things that I think should be shared for the benefit of people in general,” Zhang says of his work aimed at improving AI user experience with recursive language models. 

Prof. Christopher Knittel speaks with New York Times reporter Emmett Lindner about the likelihood that gas prices remain high after the U.S.-Iran framework deal is signed. “When prices are going up, consumers are very adamant about checking the prices of multiple gas stations,” says Knittel. “But when prices start to fall, they do that less, so gas stations can kind of get away with not lowering prices one for one with oil.”

For the Scientific American special section “The Young American Scientists,” Institute Prof. Robert Langer speaks with Megha Satyanarayana about the “spectacular” history of American innovation and education, and why he feels it’s important to celebrate scientific achievements in the same way we honor celebrities and sports stars. “I’m just a big believer in the resilience of people,” says Langer. “I look at the history of American innovation and education over the past 250 years, and it’s been spectacular. We’ve had world wars, you know, we’ve had depressions, and people keep persisting and keep learning. They keep discovering and they keep inventing.”

For Scientific American’s special section “The Young American Scientists,” Prof. Feng Zhang speaks with Tara Haelle about the importance of investing in science and education, noting that “American science has long been the strongest engine of discovery and innovation in the world.” Zhang shares: “I’m fortunate to work with extraordinary students and postdocs, but the infrastructure that lets them do their best work is under real stress: funding instability..., immigration uncertainty for international scientists and an erosion of public trust in expertise. We can lose the lead rapidly if we do not protect our innovation ecosystem.” 

For Scientific American’s “The Young American Scientists” special section, reporter Tara Haelle interviews Prof. John Urschel, a former NFL player, exploring his views on the benefits for aspiring young scientists of having a broad background of different interests and passions to draw upon. “A lot of good research happens when people can draw on tools, techniques and insights from different areas, disciplines and even fields,” says Urschel. “I hope we can encourage promising young scientists to establish strong, broad backgrounds and to communicate frequently with those outside their particular areas.” 

In a Gizmodo article, reporter Ellyn Lapointe features a new study, co-authored by Prof. Christopher Knittel and Prof. Catherine Wolfram, that reveals American households are spending an additional $400 to $900 per year due to extreme weather conditions. “U.S. households are experiencing the financial effects of climate change in ways that aren’t always obvious,” says Knittel. “These costs show up across different parts of people’s budgets, and over time they can become pretty significant.”

Popular Science reporter Laura Baisas showcases an ingestible, berry-size thermometer developed by MIT researchers that could offer continuous monitoring for sick patients. The sensor “could make it easier to determine whether a patient is sick and if they’re at risk of developing a dangerously high fever. It can also help for people tracking their fertility or those under anesthesia," writes Baisas. "The team is now working on combining the temperature sensor with different sensors that could measure other vital signs such as heart rate." 

For Smithsonian Magazine, writer Hal Sundt explains how alumnus and meteorologist Horace Byers spearheaded the Thunderstorm Project, a national initiative mapping the internal structure of thunderstorms to improve air travel safety towards the end of World War II. “The meteorologist R.H. Simpson (after whom the category-based Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale is partially named), described Byers as ‘the balance wheel in the administration of one of the greatest meteorology programs the world has ever known,’” writes Sundt.

For Boston 25, reporter Meagan Drillinger highlights how MIT was named to Stacker’s list of the top colleges in the country for return on investment. MIT is “need-blind and full-need for undergraduate students. Six out of 10 students receive financial aid, and almost 88% of the Class of 2025 graduated debt-free,” notes Drillinger. The average starting salary for 2025 graduates entering industry positions was $145,820.  

In a study examining the impact of AI tools on software development, researchers from MIT and Wharton examined the work of more than 100,000 developers and found a significant gap between what AI tools generate and the amount of software delivered to companies. Writing for Quartz, reporter Anthony Lopopolo notes: “The upshot [of the research] is that AI and human effort aren't substitutes at any stage beyond raw code generation. You can't replace reviewing, testing, and release management with more lines of code.”

Inside Precision Medicine spotlights Prof. Giovanni Traverso and his team’s work developing an oral drug formulation containing hydrogel that allows for the delivery of small molecules and antibodies via the esophageal mucosal lining. “We were interested in delivering anti-TNFs as a model drug, but also to help people who suffer from conditions like Crohn’s disease to have options that could be delivered to the site,” says Traverso. “If we have the possibility of site-directed delivery, we may be able to mitigate systemic side effects from these immunosuppressing agents.”

Scientific American reporter Clara Moskowitz spotlights a new study by Prof. Seth Lloyd that explores the feasibility of black holes sending information back in time. In the study, Lloyd and his colleagues calculate how much information can be sent backward via closed timelike curves, intensely bending, rotating space found around spinning black holes. “Spacetime can curve around so much that you can be innocently going forward in time and then you meet yourself in the past,” says Lloyd. 

For The Atlantic, reporter Rogé Karma describes how Prof. David Autor and Principal Research Scientist Neil Thompson found a basic pattern for technological changes and job displacement based on the evolution of inventory clerk versus accounting clerk positions. “The story is almost never as simple as: We’re in a race with machines and machines will win,” says Autor. “What matters for a given profession is whether technology enhances a worker’s expertise or commodifies that expertise.”

In a Forbes article, contributor Wes Kilgore cites a study by MIT economists that reveals how timely hospice use can create healthcare savings in the U.S. “When families avoid hospice because of fear or legal confusion, patients return to emergency rooms, see specialists, undergo procedures, and drive-up Medicare costs,” writes Kilgore.